milk supply advice please

[Lisa_85]

Hi Ladies,

I was bf Issac until 2weeks ago when i introduced a bedtime ff so i could express for the next days top ups. My milk supply seemed fine but he was always hungry throughout the day and is too lazy and refuses to latch on once my flow slows down. This was working great until last week when he was demolishing the expressed milk and he was still crying for more.

needless to say more formula is being used and i dont want to give up bf. If i could i would like to express and bottle feed, but i only have a manual pump and it doesnt come out very well unless im full, not only that i wouldnt know how much i would need and how often i should pump. What can i do to increase my supply?

Thanks for you help xx

 

[catty1]

Do you mean only feeding expressed milk or bf as well. I know that it is very difficult to maintain a supply while only expressing as babies are much better at getting milk out than a pump.
The best way to build supply is to let baby suckle for as long as he wants but failing that you can try taking fenugreek and eating plenty of oats.
My best advice would be to go to a bf support group. They will be able to advise you of the best pumping/feeding schedule and they are amazing.
Good luck x

 

[Lisa_85]

Thanks for the reply. I would prefer to only express feed him he wont suckle he just latches on feeds until the flow slows then crys, i swap boobs and he does the same... ive tried to keep swapping but he just screams when he comes off. Its not wind as i get a good few burps and he is more than happy to drain 3-4oz of expressed or formula after this, i know i have milk as i can squeeze my boob and still get some out xx

Oh do you know how much fenugreek i can use as i have some?

 

[catty1]

I think you can take up to 6 capsules a day, assuming they are the same strength as mine.

Owen always did this and still does, he's a lazy bugger. Sometimes I can get him to feed for longer using different holds but not often. I used to top him up with expressed milk too but it got too much so I stopped and he's always gained weight fine despite only feeding for a couple of minutes at a time.

 

[catty1]

Forgot to say that he also used to come off all the time and scream but he stopped doing it at about 14 weeks ish I think.

 

[Lisa_85]

I'm just really worried about the next growth spurt, its demanding and distressing enough him not staying on. His weight gain is steady. Its just things like his feed through the night, he used to go straight back off after a feed but now cries and eventually doses off, i try giving him more boob but he just won't take it after the fast flow had gone. So i started offering him formula top ups as i couldn't express enough for him x

 

[Sarah13]

Def try speaking to someone at your local group they give great advice and what is the best plan of action. Sounds like he's got lazy which often happens when they have bottle and boob and the more he has the bottles the more your milk will reduce so it becomes a vicious circle. What bottles do you use? The meleda calma is like breast feeding so they still need to work to get the milk out the same way as on the breast it could be worth trying so he doesn't forget what to do at the breast. You could also keep offering the breast all day even when he's not due a feed. Do you express the side he was drinking from straight after he's had enough of it? It will contain the creamy hind milk that will satisfy him better for next time. Some people also pump at the same time they feed so you begin to produce like having twins. Hope you manage to work something out x

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[Lisa_85]

Thanks sarah,i have the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles. I will try expression the kind milk when he is on the other boob and see if i get something out, ill also check when my next class is on x

 

[Maria1977]

If you are going to soley express and not put baby to boob then your supply will dry up very quickly. Some in days, some in a week or so. Baby sends messages to your body to what s/he needs via their saliva. A pump can't do that and your body cannot be fooled!

I can't advise as to how much you should be pumping as babies require different amounts of breast milk to what they do formula, and every baby makes their own rules.

The only advice I can give is that if you want to carry on giving breast milk, baby needs to go to boob.

Hope it works out for you hun xxxx

 

[Lisa_85]

Thanks Maria.

So far i fed Issac through the night and he was still hungry so i offered him some formula and he drank 2oz. This morning i offered him 1boob while i expressed from the other i got 2oz and then offered him this boob after and he stayed on for less than a min, he cried so i offered him expressed milk (it thawed through the night) and he drank 5oz. im going to take 6fenugreek and up my water and calcium intake. i already drink 2lts a day plus other drinks, tea and juice.

He fed at 8.30 so about 2hours after his feed im going to offer him the boob just to let him suckle. Im starting to wonder if giving him the dummy was the right thing to do because he used me as a comforter so obviously suckled a lot more until i introduced the dummy.

if there is anymore advice please share! Thank you

oh can anyone tell me in skin to skin would help? its cold in my house so when he does feed he is clothed and i literally pull a boob out my bra... was thinking would having a bath together help my milk? that would be the only time we could get some decent skin to skin time

xx

 

[catty1]

Skin to skin would be good. Maybe have a duvet day and just let him suckle all day while snuggled up to you.
He sounds very much like my Owen, he only stayed on long enough to get the first let down then wasn't interested. A lactation consultant advised me to use breast compressions once he started fussing to get the milk to come out faster. I found that this did help a bit. You basically just make a c shape with your hand and squeeze your boob as your feeding. You can do it quite hard.
Giving formula will effect your supply so try to avoid it if you can. Baby won't let himself starve and will get what he needs from you. Supply problems are actually extremely rare, usually women assume they don't have enough milk as baby seems hungry after boob. Talk to a bf group and they will put you at ease.
It is hard, even 8 1/2 months in I still stress about having enough milk but Owen is happy and healthy so I guess I must have

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Lilyanna is exactly the same!! I'm going to try fenugreek as soon as it gets here in the post let us know if it's working for u babe!
I agree try and avoid formula, I caved last night and have her two oz of formula and wish I hadn't but she wouldn't settle after over an hour and I could only express half an oz lily won't comfort suck on me either and cries for her dummy.. So I give it to her to calm her down for a min then try feeding again and keep doing this as much as I can without distressing her too much!
I know how ur feeling hun please keep us updated!xx

 

[Maria1977]

skin to skin is defo the best thing, if you have a big tshirt or something you can fit baby between that and you and you'll both be warm then. Or feed in bed laying down?

 

[Sarah13]

How are you getting on any improvement?

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[Lisa_85]

Hiya, em my milk seems to be getting better I'm still using formula sometimes but he is just so lazy. Boys! Haha. I'm not giving up with the breast feeding and breast milk is his main supply so i suppose its going great in comparison. I'm looking into an electric pump as i know i still have plenty of milk when he finishes, he id just to lazy to get it out... he rather graze and have closer feeding times look, i do worry about the price of the pumps tho xx